Distilling apparatus.



Rm 0 9 1 9 Y A M D E T N E T A P W. B. HARPER.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

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PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

No. 789,691. v w. B. HARPER.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

4 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 789,691- PATBNTED MAY 9 1905'.

W. B. HARPER. I

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

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77407567" Jfaazyaer ATTOR/VE No.789,691. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905. W. B. HARPER. DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

4 SKEETS-SHEET 4.

Q is "k N ATTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1905.

IVALTER BENJAMIN HARPER, OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,691, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed July 22, 1904. Serial No. 217,663.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER BENJAMIN HAR- PER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Distilling Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus, more especially designed for the manufacture of turpentine, acetic acid, wood-alcohol, tar, charcoal, woodpulp, &c., by the destructive distillation of wood, coal, or other organic or inorganic matter containing any or all of the products mentioned, the apparatus being simple and durable in construction and arranged to readily separate the volatile matter and oils from the wood and to separate the solid matter or fibers from the tar.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. A is a transverse section of the same on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section of the improvement as arranged for the production of turpentine.

In the brickwork A of the furnace is formed a heating-chamber A, through which extends a retort-shell B, closed at the ends by fixed heads B and B secured to suitable supports B B, arranged outside of the brickwork, as plainly illustrated in the drawings.

The retort-shell B is rotated, and for this purpose the shell extends beyond the ends of the brickwork A, and on the outer ends of the shell are secured gear-wheels C, in mesh near their lower ends and on opposite sides with pinions C, (see Fig. 1,) of

which the pinions on each side of the retortshell are secured on a shaft C journaled in suitable bearings and provided at its forward end with a bevel gear-wheel C", in mesh with a bevelgear-wheel C secured onatransverse shaft C, journaled in suitable bearings and provided with a pulley C, connected by a belt with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the shaft By the bevel gear-wheels G the shafts C on the sides of the retort are rotated, so that the pinions C, secured on the said shafts, rotate the gearwheel C, and hence revolve the retort-shell B.

A feed device is held on the head B to feed -the material to be treated into the retortshell, the said feed device being provided with a conveyer-casing D, in which is mounted to revolve a conveyer'screw E, the outer end of the casing having an inlet-chute D, into which the Wood is dumped, preferably in a reduced state, so that the conveyer-screw E feeds the reduced wood into the inlet end of the retortshell B.

In order to feed the material gdropped into the inlet end of the retort-shell B toward the discharge end thereof, a chain F is provided, secured at one end only to the conveyer-casing D, the other end being free, the chain extending loosely longitudinally along the bottom of the shell B, so that when the latter is rotated and the reduced wood is fed into the shell, as previously described, then the chain F is caused to wrigglc, thereby feeding the material from the inlet end of the shell toward the discharge end thereofthat is, toward the head B It is understood that as the reduced wood is lighter than the links of the chain and the retort is revolving the chain by its wriggling motion feeds the wood rearward, as described.

In the head B is secured a conveyer-casing G, containing a conveyer-screw H and having a trough-like inner end Gr, extending centrally into the shell B at the discharge end thereof, and the bottom of the trough Gr is provided with perforations G to allow the tar carried into the trough G to How through the perforations back into the discharge end of the shell at the head B The inner terminal of the trough-like end G is closed to prevent thefinaterial from falling back into the retort- S16 In order to carry the material fed by the chain F toward the discharge end of the retort-shell up into the trough G, the interior of the retort-shell is provided with a number of radially-disposed wings I at the discharge end of the shell, so that the material passing to a wing is carried up by the latter as the retort shell rotates, and finally slides off the wing as the latter nears an uppermost position and drops into the trough G, in which the material is fed outwardly by the conveyer screw H, and the tar is allowed to drop through the perforations G as previously explained.

The conveyer-screw H has its shaft H provided with a pulley H connected by a belt with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the conveyer-screw, and the said shaft H may be extended lengthwise through the shell B to connect with the shaft of the conveyer-screw E, so as to rotate the conveyerscrew H and E in unison and from the same source.

The outer end of the conveyer-shell G for the discharging device is provided with a chute G? for carrying off the fiber, and from the bottom of the said casing Gr extends a branch pipe J, having a valve J for connecting or disconnecting the branch pipe J with or from the conveyor-casing G. The branch pipe J leads to the casing K of a pressing device containing sets of rollers K, between which passes the material to be pressed, so as to press the tar out of the wood fibers, the fibers then passing from the last set of rollers K into a chute K discharging the fibers to a car or other suitable receptacle held below the chute K. In order to insure a proper feed of the fibers through the chute K the latter is provided with a set of revolving feed-rollers K, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. From the hoppershaped. bottom of the casing K of the pressing device leads a pipe K, having a valve K to a tank L for receiving the tar, the said tank L being also connected by a pipe N, having a valve N, with the bottom of the head B so that the tar separated from the material within the shell B and flowing from the perforarations G can pass by way of the pipe N into the tank L.

Through the head B extends a steam-pipe 0, connected with a boiler or other suitable source of steam-supply, to furnish steam for the material under treatment in the retortshell. The head B is provided near its upper end with an outlet-pipe P for carrying off the volatile matter to a suitable condenser, and a similar pipe Q, leads from the upper end of the head B to carry off the heavy oils, as hereinafter more fully described, the said pipes P'and Q being provided with suitable valves P and Q to allow of opening and closing the pipes.

The furnace A for furnishing the necessary heat for the heating-chamber Av to heat the retort-shell and its contents. is arranged as follows: The fire-box A for burning coal, oil, gas, or like fuel is connected with a combustion-chamber A over a bridge-wall A and the rear end of the said combustion-chamber is closed by a transverse partition A, spaced from the rear end wall of thefurnace. Each side of the combustion-chamber A is connected by a port A with a duct A, arranged lengthwise in the heating-chamber A above an arch A separating the fire-box A and the combustion-chamber A from the said heatingchamber A. The arch A is supported at its rear end by the partition A, which is extended upward a sufficient distance to also close the rear ends of the ducts A, which open at their forward ends into the front end of the heating-chamber A. The rear end of the heating-chamber A is connected at the bottom with a downwardly-extending duct A", connected by a port A with a transverse duct A leading to a smoke-stack A By the arrangement described the products of combustion from the burning fuel in the fire-box A first pass rearwardly into the combustion-chamber A and then by the ports A into the ducts A, in which the products of combustion travel forwardly to pass into the forward end of the heating-chamber A to completely surround the retort-shell B. The products of combustion finally pass from the rear end of the heating-chamber A down into the duct A and by the port A into the duct A from which the products of combustion pass to the smoke-stack, which provides sufficient draft for the products of combustion to travel in the direction above described.

The retort may be rotated continuously or intermittently, and two retorts are employed (see Fig. 5) when the production of not only turpentine, but also of by-products, is desired, and only one retort is required when turpentine alone or when acetic acid and woodalcohol are to be produced.

The continuous process for the production of turpentine is carried out as follows: The wood is preferably ground in a suitable machine and fed by the conveyer-screw E and easing D into the retort-shell B, in which the wood begins to clistil and the resin to exude. The snake-like motion of the chain F causes the material to move toward the wings Ias the retort-shell B revolves, and during the time the material is in the shell steam is admitted by way of the pipe 0 and the shell is heated from the heat emanating from the burning fuel in the fire-box A as previously described; but the temperature is kept just below the charring-point of the Wood. The vapors of light oil and steam arising from the material pass through the pipe P to a condenser, in which they are collected and separated in the usual manner. As the wood continues to enter the retort-shell B the latter fills up and the material which first entered, having reached the wings I, is sufficiently distilled to permit its removal, which is carried out by the wings I lifting the material into the trough Gr, from which the material is fed outwardly by the conveyer-screw H. The diflused resin or tar in the trough Gr drops through the perforations G as previously explained, to be carried by the pipe N to the tank L. The wood residue carried along the casing G is finally discharged through the chute Gr into a car or other suitable receptacle; but if it desired to make wood fiber then the valve J is opened to permit the material to pass from the conveyer-casing G into the branch pipe J to pass to the casing K of the pressing device, in which the rolls K press out any liquid matter contained in the material, and this liquid matter fiows by way of the pipe K into the receiving-tank L. The wood fiber passes from the casing K by way of the chute K to a car or other device to be carried off to a distant place. If it is desired to complete the distillation, the material instead of being discharged at the chute Gr or passed by way of the branch pipe J to the casing of the pressing device K is carried by the conveyerscrew H directly into another retort-shell B, such as shown in Fig. 5, and heated to a much higher temperature than the one described, so as to drive out the heavy oils still contained in the wood material. In this second retort no steam is used, and the vapors in the tar are carried away the same as in the retort shown in the drawings and described above. In this second retort-shell the wood material is converted into charcoal, which is carried off by the screw-conveyer and is discharged into air-tight cars through acooler or upon a grate, according to the disposition to be made of the charcoal. The gas from the second retortshell is either collected in gas-holders or led directly into the fire-box A to be burned therein. In the intermittent process the material enters the retort-shell B with or without the use of a feed-screw E, and in this case the retort is filled nearly full, sufiicient space being left, however, to prevent clogging of the material. Steam is now turned on by way of the pipe 0 and the retort is heated from the burning fuel in the fire-box A, as previously explained, so

thatthe temperature of the material contained in the shell B is raised to just below the charring-point of the wood. The turpentine-vapor and the steam arising from the material pass through the pipe P and are condensed, as usual, and after the turpentine has been distilled the steam is shut off, the valve P of the pipe P is closed, and the valve Q of the pipe Q is opened, so that the vapors of the heavy oils arising from the material in the retortshell pass to a suitable condenser to be condensed.

tom of the shell B by way of the pipeN into The tar is discharged from the bot-' the tank L, and when the material in the still has reached a temperature of about 806 Fahrenheit then the operation is complete, it being understood that the temperature within the shell is measured by a suitable pyrometer or similar device. The uncondensable gases pass off with the vapors of the heavy oils and are collected in a tank for further treatment or the said gases are directly burned in the firebox of the furnace. If wood-pulp is to be made, the operation is stopped at a lower temperatu re. The solid material is removed from the shell Bby the wings I and conveyer-screw H,as previously explained,and passed through the pressing-rollers K and then the retort is recharged for the next operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An apparatus for the destructive distillation of wood and the like, comprising a revoluble retort-shell having fixed heads, a furnace for exteriorly heating the same, a steamsupply pipe opening into the shell through one of the heads, vapor-outlet pipes leading from the shell at the heads, aliquid-discharge pipe leading from the shell at one of theheads, feeding devices for the shell at one head, a discharge device at the other head, and means carried by the retort for delivering the solid material to the discharge device.

2. A distilling apparatus comprising-a revoluble shell, a heating-chamber surrounding the shell, a feed device for feeding the material to be heated into one end of the shell, a chain fixed at one end in the forward portion of the retort and extending loosely in the bottom of the shell toward the rear end thereof, to feed the material rearward in the shell, a mechanical discharge device in the rear end of the shell, and lifting-plates on the inside of the shell at the rear end thereof and adapted to lift the material up and deliver it to the said mechanical discharge device.

3. A distilling apparatus comprising a revoluble shell, closed at its ends by fixed heads, and a chain lying in the bottom of the retort and fixed at one end and free at the other end, to feed the material lengthwise in the retort and from the fixed end of the chain toward the loose end thereof.

4:. A distilling apparatus having a retort formed of a horizontally-disposed revoluble shell and fixed heads,valved vapor-outlet pipes connected with the heads, a feeding-conveyer extending into one end of the shell through one of the heads, a discharging-conveyerleading from the other end of the shell and extending through the other head, a liquid-discharge pipe leading from this head atthe bottom thereof, lifting means in the shell, for carrying the material to the said discharging-- conveyer, and feeding means for feeding the material along the bottom of the shell.

- 5. A distilling apparatus having a retort formed of a revoluble shell and fixed heads, a

feeding-conveyer extending into one end of the shell through one of the heads, a discharging-conveyer leading from the other end of the shell and extending through the other head, a discharge-pipe leading from this head at the bottom thereof, lifting means in the shell for carrying the material to the said dischargingconveyer, and a chain fixed to the feedingconveyer and extending loosely lengthwise in the bottom of the shell, to feed the material along the shell toward said lifting means.

6. A distilling apparatus comprising a retort formed of a revoluble shell and fixed heads, valved vapor-outlet pipes leading from the said heads, a feeding-conveyer extending into one end of the shell through one of the heads, a discharging-conveyer leading from the other end of the shell and extending through the other head, a liquid-discharge pipe leading from this head at the bottom thereof, lifting means in the-shell for carrying the material to the said discharging-conveyer, feeding means for feeding the material along the bottom of the shell, and a pressing device connected with the said discharging-conveyer for pressing the material,.to separate the fibers from the liquid.

7. A distilling apparatus comprising a furnace having a heating-chamber, a retort having a revoluble shell extending through the heating-chamber, the shell being closed by fixed heads, a delivering-conveyor extending through one head to deliver the material to be treated to the receiving end of the shell, a discharging-conveyer having a trough and a conveyer-screw therein, the trough extending through the other shell-head a distance into the discharge end of the shell, the bottom of the trough being perforated, lifting-plates secured to the shell at the discharge end, to lift the material and deliver it to the said trough, and means for feeding the material in the shell from the receiving end to the discharge end.

8. A distilling apparatus comprising a furnace having a heating-chamber, a retort having a revoluble shell extending through the heating-chamber, the shell beingclosed by fixed heads, a delivering-conveyer extending through one head to deliver the material to be treated to the receiving end of the shell, a discharging-conveyer having a trough and a conveyer-screw therein, the trough extending through the other shell-head a distance into the discharge end of the shell, the bottom of the trough being perforated, lifting-plates secured to the shell at the discharge end, to lift the material and deliver it to the said trough, and means for feeding the material in the shell from the receiving end to the discharge end, the said means comprising a chain fixed at one end to the casing of the delivery-conveyer and extending lengthwise in the bottom of the shell toward the discharge end of the shell.

9. A distilling apparatus comprising a furnace having a heating-chamber, a retort having a revoluble shell extending through the heating-chamber, the shell being closed by fixed heads, a delivery-conveyer extending through one head to deliver the material to I be treated to the receiving end of the shell, a discharging-conveyer having a trough and a conveyer-screw therein, the trough extending through the other shell-head a distance into the discharge end of the shell, the bottom of the trough being perforated, lifting-plates secured to the shell at the discharge end, to lift the material and deliver it to the said trough, a pipe for carrying off the liquid from the discharge end of the shell and extending through the head at this end of the shell, and means for feeding the material in the shell from the receiving end to the discharge end.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER BENJAMIN HARPER.

Witnesses:

G. MAYER,, D. A. LEVAGUE. 

